I have shared this statement many times over the past year and will do so again because there is simply no other way of putting it. I am on a journey. I have transformed what many may think of as, “life” into what I consider, “a journey.” We have all heard the statement: Life Happens. I am bound and determined to make life happen rather than just let life happen. I am in control of my future and I get to decide what path I go down, therefore this is my journey. I must point out that there are some very important factors in this journey of mine that I could not be successful without. My three F’s: Faith, Family and Friends.
Faith is something that I hold very near and dear to my heart. I live my life from day to day with God at the center of it. Let’s face it, life can sometimes be tough and there are days when we all feel down. I have felt so comforted by knowing that I always have God who I can turn to and talk to at anytime. I often find that I will seek him out in times of need but try very hard to just thank him daily for all of the amazing things I have. I grew up as a young girl attending church with my parents and this is something that I have found has been a huge part of my life and has helped shape who I am and who I want to be. I desire to show kindness and love to others in all areas of my life.
When I started training for my first competition I was really nervous to tell anyone that I was doing it. I was a bit worried about how people would react when I told them and about what they would think. I think this is a normal feeling when trying something new. I wasn’t close to stage ready and I had never actually ever been to a show. I was worried that I would let people down or that I wouldn’t actually complete what I had set out to do. When I first started to tell people I don’t think many people even knew what to think. At first I would judge their reaction and think that they were disapproving. In reality they knew as much about competing as I first did when I found out a couple of my friends were going to start training for their first show. It was a look of surprise and then you could almost see the wheels turning, as people tried to fully understand what that actually meant. When taking a first glance at a competition promotional flyer you see people in small amounts of clothes with rhinestones and clear heels. Moving beyond appearance you would think, okay, so she wants to go stand on stage with a bunch of beautiful women and have judges assess her based solely on her body and pick who looks the best. In reality we learn that competing is SO MUCH MORE than that. Competing is about setting a goal and working hard every single day for months to reach that goal. It is an emotional, mental and physical struggle that helps build you up to a stronger more determined person. Judges look at physiques and judge based on muscularity, posing, symmetry, stage presence and so much more. My point is, that education is key. We are all so scared of what we don’t know. As a society we try to avoid things that make us uncomfortable. When we look beyond what is in our comfort zone and we give things a chance we learn that there is so many amazing opportunities out there.
When I started training for my first competition I was really nervous to tell anyone that I was doing it. I was a bit worried about how people would react when I told them and about what they would think. I think this is a normal feeling when trying something new. I wasn’t close to stage ready and I had never actually ever been to a show. I was worried that I would let people down or that I wouldn’t actually complete what I had set out to do. When I first started to tell people I don’t think many people even knew what to think. At first I would judge their reaction and think that they were disapproving. In reality they knew as much about competing as I first did when I found out a couple of my friends were going to start training for their first show. It was a look of surprise and then you could almost see the wheels turning, as people tried to fully understand what that actually meant. When taking a first glance at a competition promotional flyer you see people in small amounts of clothes with rhinestones and clear heels. Moving beyond appearance you would think, okay, so she wants to go stand on stage with a bunch of beautiful women and have judges assess her based solely on her body and pick who looks the best. In reality we learn that competing is SO MUCH MORE than that. Competing is about setting a goal and working hard every single day for months to reach that goal. It is an emotional, mental and physical struggle that helps build you up to a stronger more determined person. Judges look at physiques and judge based on muscularity, posing, symmetry, stage presence and so much more. My point is, that education is key. We are all so scared of what we don’t know. As a society we try to avoid things that make us uncomfortable. When we look beyond what is in our comfort zone and we give things a chance we learn that there is so many amazing opportunities out there.
My friends and family were absolutely amazing. They didn’t need to wait to see if I would actually follow through with my goal. They believed me right away and continued to push me and encourage me along the way. The mental struggles and emotional moments along the way were eased and softened by the support and love around me from the amazing people in my life. As a military wife I consider my friends and family to be one and the same thing. Some family is blood and others are people I chose to love and love me back. Biological family and my extended military family are both my closest friends and my dearest loved ones. I see the family God chose for me and the family that I got to choose. They are both an amazing blessing and if I had the choice would pick them all over again. Having a support system is so important. With families there are sometimes disagreements but working through those things helps makes you stronger and brings you closer together. Having moved around a bit in my short adult life I have really learned to appreciate the people in my life. Social media has been a blessing for me to be able to feel so connected with people all over the world. My message to anyone reading this is to appreciate the people in your life. Imagine if you didn’t have them around. Life is short and precious. Make amends with people you are fighting with. Chances are the issue is something silly and not worth staying mad over. Just as others help you and support you, support someone in need and be there from them. Do for other people what you would want to be done for you, for no other reason than to just be there for them. Send good into the world without expecting something back. Even if you don’t physically receive something back, you will get the happiness and satisfaction of knowing that you helped make someone happy or improved someone’s life even in the littlest way. This is your journey, but do not forget about those people who are helping to push you to your goals.
Desire2Inspire good in the world. <3
Desire2Inspire good in the world. <3